Adjustable Article Supporter for Uneven Stack Feeding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image forming apparatuses face issues with the inclination of thinly tabular articles due to thickness variations, leading to interference during outward supply, limiting the number of stackable articles.
Innovation Solution
An article supporter with a first support for thinner parts, a second support that is movable and adjustable, and an adjuster to maintain the uppermost article within a vertical range, ensuring proper alignment and posture of articles with varying thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If thinly tabular articles are stacked in a bundle, then the number of articles can be increased, but the uppermost article becomes inclined due to thickness variations, interfering with outward supply
Solution Approach 1:
The second support is made movable upward and downward to dynamically adapt to variations in article thickness. This allows the support system to maintain proper alignment of the uppermost article even when stacking many articles with different thicknesses, preventing inclination and interference during supply.
Solution Approach 2:
The level of the second support is adjusted based on the actual thickness of the stacked articles. By changing the vertical position parameter of the second support, the system compensates for thickness variations and maintains the uppermost article within the predetermined vertical range, ensuring stable supply.
2Productivity
If the number of stacked articles is limited to a small number, then the uppermost article remains aligned, but the productivity of the supply device is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The movable second support automatically adjusts to maintain alignment without manual intervention. This dynamic adjustment mechanism allows the system to handle large numbers of stacked articles while maintaining proper alignment, thereby improving productivity without sacrificing ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjuster mechanism enables the second support to self-adjust its level based on the thickness of the stacked articles. This self-service capability eliminates the need for manual alignment maintenance, allowing the system to handle large bundles of articles efficiently while maintaining proper alignment automatically.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed support structure is used, then the device complexity is low, but it cannot accommodate articles with varying thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The second support is designed as a movable component that can adjust its vertical position, providing adaptability to articles with varying thickness. This dynamic element is integrated into the support structure with an adjuster mechanism, achieving versatility without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure is divided into two independent supports: a first support for thinner parts and a second support for thicker parts. This segmentation allows each support to be optimized for its specific function, with the second support providing adjustable height to accommodate thickness variations, achieving adaptability through modular design.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the stable support and supply of a larger number of thinly tabular articles with varying thickness, preventing interference and ensuring smooth feeding into the image forming apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
a feeder that supplies, by air suction, an uppermost thinly tabular article from a bundle of a plurality of thinly tabular articles
Data Source
AI summary
An article supporter for a supply device includes a feeder that supplies, by air suction, an uppermost thinly tabular article from a bundle of a plurality of thinly tabular articles that is stacked and is partially different in thickness, the article supporter for supporting the bundle with a gap between the uppermost thinly tabular article and the feeder, and the article supporter includes: a first support that supports respective thinner parts of the plurality of thinly tabular articles; a second support that supports respective thicker parts of the plurality of thinly tabular articles and is movable upward and downward; and an adjuster that adjusts a level of the second support such that the uppermost thinly tabular article of the bundle is set within a predetermined range in a vertical direction.